“Setting the table of our lives with gratitude” ~ what an expansive sense of Thanksgiving by which to live every day! This is the title of Tim Mitchinson’s latest blog which was first published in the Alsip Patch on November 18, 2017. It is a very special one that I know you will want to read to the end. Wishing each of you a Thanksgiving Day ~ and every day ~ abundant with gratitude!

My mom took such joy in Thanksgiving. She especially enjoyed setting the table – laying out the china, flatware, goblets and cloth napkins that were used only on special occasions. And there was always a beautiful centerpiece.

I remember a political commentator using the phrase “set the table” to refer to political campaigns when establishing their strategy. It’s a good phrase for all of us to think about. How do you prepare for special occasions, your workday, or just every day? How do you “set the table” of your life?

Gratitude is a great way to “set the table”. Psychology professor Robert Emmons of the University of California would concur. According to Emmons, gratitude is not just a happy emotion; it can improve one’s health. His research shows that individuals who kept a gratitude journal reported fewer physical symptoms of illness than those who did not.

This is not surprising to me. For years I have found gratitude to not only benefit my mental well-being, but also to heal illness. I had a friend who used to say, “When you are not feeling well, consider what you have to be grateful for.” While family and friends may naturally come first on many people’s list, my friend encouraged me to specifically express gratitude for God and His unconditional love. She knew that would make my gratitude even more effective in terms of health benefits, and she was right.

In his latest blog, “Being Safe on Campus,” Tim Mitchinson shares an experience of the power of acknowledging God as a very present help in trouble to keep us safe in every situation. Tim’s blog was published on Patch.com on October 26, 2017. Here’s Tim ~

College-life can be an extremely exciting time. It opens the door to unlimited opportunities to learn and to grow. But unfortunately, college life can sometimes expose one to violence. According to a study led by Christopher P. Krebs, PhD for the National Institute of Justice, one in 5 women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college.

In a college newsletter for students, the University of West Virginia offered various tips for preventing sexual assault, including staying with friends at parties, not accepting drinks from anyone, keeping your cell phone charged and with you, and making sure you have a ride home. These tips can help reduce one’s susceptibility to attack.

I have found another way to reduce one’s vulnerability – becoming conscious of the protecting power of God. I spend a lot of my day praying for others – and seeing the healing results of those prayers. I’ve learned a lot about successful praying through the study of two books: The Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy. They have taught me that acknowledging the healing presence of God in any situation can bring protection. One line from Science and Health that I have found very effective speaks about God as Love. It states, “Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you.”

Divine Love is always at hand to help, says Valerie Minard in her most recent blog. But, she asks, “Why wait until the big problems come up to pray?” Valerie’s blog was first published in MyCentralNewJersey.com on October 11, 2017.

For some, prayer may not play a big part in their life until a life-threatening situation arises. That was certainly borne out recently when hurricanes Harvey and Irma struck the mainland United States. There were millions of prayer requests on Google.

But is prayer just a shot in the dark or a last resort when all else fails? As a Christian Scientist, I’ve come to see prayer as that which opens my eyes to the ever-presence and power of God — not “a God who is presumed on occasion to set aside laws of nature,” but “a God who is infinite Love acting through immutable spiritual law” (Robert Peel, Spiritual Healing in a Scientific Age, Harper & Row, 1987.)

Former Monmouth Beach resident Joanne Ivy Stankievich didn’t hesitate to pray during Hurricane Irma. She was confident that turning to God would bring safety and protection.

In his blog “How do you worship God?” Tim Mitchinson describes how he prayed when in great pain. The result of his prayer was the wonderful discovery that “Christian healing is not only the outcome of worship; it is worship itself.” I know you’ll want to read Tim’s whole article which was first published in the Peoria Journal-Star on September 13, 2017.

People all over the world worship God in many different ways. For many of us, worship includes maintaining a consistent awareness of God’s presence and love, and having an impact on the world by living from that basis. It includes words and deeds of kindness and grace.

As we humbly learn more of God and recognize Him as a constant presence–the presence of infinite Life, Truth and Love–moments of inspiration often result in the healing of physical illness. So, Christian healing–feeling the love of God that heals disease and sin–can be an increasingly important and reliable outcome of our worship of God.

For instance, recently I woke up feeling quite ill. I was tired, in pain, and felt burdened by a day of job and family responsibilities. I struggled with getting the kids off to school, then sat at my desk, and before beginning my day of writing, I opened a tract of inspirational articles. I quietly prayed with each sentence, hoping to just feel inspired and unburdened. One article quoted this from the Bible: “…the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).

This Bible verse was a reminder to me that turning to God in a time of need was a good thing – availing health, joy and salvation. In other words, instead of thinking of myself and my ailments, I needed to recognize a greater adoration, love and wonder of God. After an hour, I realized I had better turn on my computer and get to work. As I rose from the chair I’d been sitting in, I realized I felt well. As a matter of fact, I felt great. I was not only physically well, but mentally clear, full of love and joy, and extremely grateful to God.

Kay Stroud, my colleague from Australia, shares a wonderful example of even children understanding the natural connection between sports and spirituality. Kay’s blog was first published in the Sunshine Coast Daily on September 13, 2017.

As we talked through the half-time state of play of his soccer match, my grandson expressed an openness to some helpful ideas I shared with him. He went back on and scored a goal immediately, and soon after I saw him patting a team-mate on the back following a similar success.

Rather than counselling on techniques or from a sports psychology perspective, I’d focussed his attention on the spiritual nature of the game: had he noticed that when they worked together as a team quite a big change occurred? I shared how love for individual team members and joy in the game itself is what brings success. When he felt a teammate wasn’t working as a team-player my grandson could go out of his way to applaud his efforts, even if his mate wasn’t reciprocating yet. On this otherwise unremarkable Saturday morning, a spiritual approach to his soccer match had transformed his game, and the score.

The extensive scholarly literature about sport and spirituality reports experiences by many thousands of athletes, with and without religious affiliations, that are frequently described as spiritual. They are collectively called “being in the zone.” Sports psychologist, Mark Nesti, has identified that spiritual experiences in sport have much in common with feelings of intense love.

Learning how love, joy, compassion, strength, balance and respect lead to sports success is important. Even more important, is to know that the source of our ability to express them is divine. Athletes who know this might practise these five essentials.

In his latest blog Tim Mitchinson reminds us that “no matter what new challenges you may face, there is an unwavering, unconditional, divine Love enfolding you and those you love, right now.” These ideas could not be more relevant than today. “Stability when the winds of change blow” was first published on September 5, 2017 in the Peoria Journal-Star.

As summer turns to fall in Illinois, the wonderful warm days of Indian summer arrive. This is a time of change, not only in the weather, as days become shorter and nights chillier, but often a time of personal changes as loved ones move off to attend college, start new jobs, make new friends, often leaving parents and others behind.

Bob Dylan once wrote, “May you have a strong foundation when the winds of change shift…” Like many others, I have found the Bible to be that strong foundation when facing times of challenge or change. Why? Because the Bible, spiritually interpreted, helps us understand that the power of God is mightier than any fearful situation we may be facing. It’s a textbook on life. Through counsel and example, it shows us how to face any situation, trusting that God’s love and protective power are sufficient to help us no matter the changes we face.

Throughout the Bible there are stories of people who, when they were up against something really challenging, felt the presence and power of God and His great love. For instance, the life of Joseph, son of Hebrew patriarch Jacob, was full of twists and turns. He was sold by his brothers into slavery, falsely accused when he took a moral stand, imprisoned and forgotten by those he had trusted. But Joseph knew God’s great love surrounded him no matter where he was, no matter what was going on. He patiently lived his life under God’s guidance. When he was finally released from prison, he saved a nation from famine.

King David may have been thinking of Joseph when he penned these words about God’s ever-presence and unchanging love during uncertain times: “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there” (Ps. 139: 7, 8). This Psalm teaches that God’s direction and affection never leave us, no matter where we are, who we are with (or not with), or how severe the challenges we seem to be up against.

In his recent timely blog “Is there a cure for racism?” Eric Nelson challenges us to seek that deep sense of divine Love that enables us to see beyond surface differences of skin color or culture to each one’s true identify as the loved child of God. Eric’s blog was first published on Communities Digital News on August 28, 2017

“I’ve heard some people that I know and like saying quite offensive things,” said Carol Lindsay, a white, 80-year-old Londoner speaking with NPR about the uptick in racially motivated hostility she witnessed following last year’s Brexit vote. “You know, just nastiness. I think it’s like a contagion.”

Given the universal aversion to disease, Lindsay’s analogy is unsettling. Chances are, though, that on average we do far more to protect ourselves from the common cold than the temptation to see people of another race as a threat to our personal well-being.

“Floating with the popular current of mortal thought without questioning the reliability of its conclusions, we do what others do, believe what others believe, and say what others say,” cautioned Mary Baker Eddy in her Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, addressing what she understood to be the root of all sickness, both moral and physical. “Common consent is contagious, and it makes disease catching.”

The question then becomes, how do we prevent the spread of racism? How do we alleviate the sense of mistrust born of an all-too-common failure to realize or to admit that we all share the same divine Creator? How do we treat this disease, if you will, that appears to have infected nearly every corner of the globe?

Malissa Lakin-Watson in her blog “One Simple Rule for Choosing Love in a World Full of Hate,” admits its not always is and can take concerted effort. But imagine what the world look like if we each made this commitment moment by moment. Malissa’s blog was first published in Elephant Journalon Aug 10, 2017

Looking at the news these days, it would seem that people have lost all sense of civility and how to treat one another.

Discord in families, communities, and the global political landscape in general would suggest that division, hatred of “the other,” terrorism, and fear rule the day. Doing unto others as they do unto us is the “new normal.”

But civility and “loving our neighbor” is much more prevalent than it appears. When we look at day-to-day life, we do often experience small acts of kindness.

For instance: how many times has a perfect stranger opened a door for you or let you in when you were trying to merge onto the freeway? How many times have you done that for somebody? It’s interesting to note how, in the moment, we never stop to think about what political or religious affiliation someone adheres to before we decide to help. In most cases, we practice “The Golden Rule,” without even thinking about it.

The Book of Malachi in the Bible asks this question: ”Have we all not one Father, hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?“ The second question here is one many may be asking themselves these days. Could it be that some of our divisive thoughts and feelings stem from identifying more rigidly with personalities, political figures, or religious differences than we do with trying to understand that we are all infinitely connected. We’re all at one with the divine source who St. Paul says, “we live and move and have our being?”

This divine source, another term for “God,” means many different things to different people. Some don’t believe God exists. But let’s consider who or what exactly this “one God” is that Malachi and St. Paul are referring to.

Technology has produced rapid growth in artificial intelligence in ways that are now part of our everyday life. Some fear it will not only replace human jobs, but is one of the biggest threats to humanity itself. In his blog “The (spiritual) limits to technology” Eric Nelson makes it clear that despite its advances, technology will never replace spiritual sense which opens our thought to deep communion with God. Eric’s blog was first published in Communities Digital News on July 24, 2017

Technology has its limits, not the least of which is its ability to provide any real connection with the ineffable, the transcendent, or the divine.

This is essentially the point I tried to make during a recent dinner conversation. Someone had suggested that human know-how – and, by association, human progress – was on the verge of being superseded by artificial intelligence, and I begged to differ.

It’s not that I have anything against technology. Far from it. It’s just that I have yet to see it come even remotely close to providing the sort of life-transforming wisdom that, at least for me, has only ever come through conscious communion with God.

or example, some years ago when I was working as a video producer, one of my editors called to say that a project he’d been working on for the better part of a week had been completely lost. Apparently the hard drive he was using had gone on the fritz.

The solution seemed pretty straightforward: Deliver the hard drive to any number of tech geeks in town, wait a few days, pay an excessive amount of money, and voila! Problem solved.

Having neither the time nor the money to spare, I decided to pray. I wasn’t asking God, divine Mind, to literally fix the hard drive. Rather, because I’ve come to trust His presence in my life, I was listening for whatever ideas He had to take care of the situation.

Tim Mitchinson writes of a prison inmate finding his way out of crime to a productive life by understanding his true spiritual identity. As Tim says, “This inner voice [of Christ] speaks to everyone, telling us of our worth and essential goodness as a child of God.” Tim’s blog was first published in Illinois’ Daily Herald on June 29, 2017.

Good news for New York can be good news for Illinois. New York City has achieved one of the lowest crime rates the metropolis has ever seen. Last year, gang-related killings were down by almost a third from the year before. Police Commissioner James O’Neill credits a new approach for offenders: “Either be arrested or seek help for their problems, such as job training, counseling, or mentoring.” This is evidence that we can help individuals leave behind illegal and degrading ways and find a progressive and moral life.

The recent book, Place Matters: Criminology for the Twenty-First Century by David Weisburd and others, explains a shift in attention “from people to events, from those who commit crimes to the crimes themselves.” It appears that more and more law enforcement officials are discovering the effectiveness of separating the crime from the criminal. In other words, if we can learn to treat the offender and help him find a better sense of himself, we can bring healing into many lives, and decrease crime itself.

This differentiation between the individual and the sin is not a new way of thinking. As a matter of fact, it was practiced successfully over 2000 years ago by Christ Jesus who brought reformation and healing into the lives of those he met. It seems to me the reason he was called the “friend of publicans and sinners” is that where most of us would see someone as dirty, criminal or unworthy, Jesus saw a child of God and this divine understanding and love brought changes in the individual’s character and lifestyle.

The same is true today. Louis Fuentes can attest to that. Incarcerated in upstate New York for crimes committed under the influence of drugs, he desperately wanted to heal the dishonesty and addictions that had run rampant in his life.

Welcome!

I serve as the Christian Science Committee on Publication for New Mexico. The goal is to share a spiritual perspective on health and to engage in conversation while exploring how thought impacts health. Wayne Hicks 505-235-6824 Newmexico@compub.org

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